1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a camera in which one of multiple photo frame formats may be designated as the print mode during photo-taking, and more particularly, to a camera in which format information corresponding to the print mode designated during photo-taking is recorded on the film using an optical signal.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a camera capable of photo-taking using as the photo frame format for printing one of two print modes, high vision format (H format) and panorama format (P format), has been considered.
In the camera described above, format information that indicates which of the two print modes was selected during photo-taking, so that appropriate photographic paper may be selected for printing, is recorded under the photo-taking screen (frame) of the film as optical data. At the processing laboratory, the printer is controlled based on this recorded data so that photographic paper of the size suitable for each photo frame format is selected and printing takes place.
FIG. 7 shows a conceivable construction used to record format information for said two types of print modes in the area of the film where the data recording should occur.
FIG. 7 shows important components inside the camera. Film 1 is pulled out of cartridge 5 inside the camera and wound onto spool 6 as photo-taking progresses. Plate member 37 and light emitting diode (LED) 39 are located at data recording position 35 located at the lower right of frame 25 to record format information. Plate member 37 has light passage hole 38 formed in it such that the light emitted from LED 39 passes through it.
A mode selecting member on the camera main unit selects the print mode. This mode selecting member and the ON/OFF switch for the circuit for LED 39 are connected. In other words, the print mode selected by means of the mode selecting member and the condition of LED 39 (whether it is ON or OFF) when the shutter is released are related as shown in Table 1 below. In this way, the format information corresponding to the print mode is recorded at the lower right of each frame at the same time that photo-taking takes place.
TABLE 1 ______________________________________ Selected print mode LED 39 Format information ______________________________________ H format OFF No dot points P format ON One dot point ______________________________________
FIG. 8 shows a block diagram of said control operation. The turning ON and OFF of switch 390 is linked with the release button for shutter release, and the turning ON and OFF of switch 391 is linked with the mode selecting member to select the print mode.
Specifically, switches 390 and 391 are grounded on one end and are connected to OR circuit 392 on the other end. Pull-up resistances 393 and 394 are connected to the lines from switches 390 and 391 to OR circuit 392, said resistances being further connected with power source VDD. LED drive unit 395 controls the LED such that it emits light when the signals input from OR circuit 392 have changed from `High` to `Low`. In said control circuit, when switches 390 and 391 are OFF, `High` signals are output from OR circuit 392 at all times, and `Low` signals are output from OR circuit 392 only when switches 390 and 391 are both turned ON. Therefore, the LED emits light and one dot point is recorded only when switches 390 and 391 are both turned is ON.
In the camera described above, two switch mechanisms are used as shown in FIG. 8. In recent years, as electronization of cameras has become advanced, even if two switch mechanisms are used, as long as one or both of said switches are constructed using electronic circuits, the reliability of the camera is not significantly compromised.
However, in inexpensive cameras such as those using `film with an attached lens` (so-called disposable cameras), the use of which has rapidly increased in recent years because of their convenience, because mechanical switches having a simple mechanism are used, two switch mechanisms mean that two areas can cause a bad connection, etc., which is a major factor in reducing their reliability.
In particular, where a bad connection occurs with switch 390 linked to the release button, the camera does not operate and the user therefore can easily perceive the occurrence of a failure, but where a bad connection occurs with switch 391 linked to the switching of the mode, the failure cannot be perceived easily and the user may continue using the camera.